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Salinas: the town

Contents

Introduction

History

Weather & Geography

Where to go and what to do

Introduction

Salinas is located in the Península de Santa Elena that, protruding from the coast line into the Pacific Ocean, constitutes the westernmost point of the continental territory of Ecuador. A two hour drive from Guayaquil, the city is the main holiday destination for the city dwellers and for many ecuadorian people living in the cities located in the Andes, like Quito and Cuenca, as well as for foreign tourists from Colombia and Perú.

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History

A fishing village in its origins, by 1940 the town was already known as an excelent place for summer holidays because of its quiet waters and sunny days. Three neighbourhoods made up the town of Salinas: San Lorenzo, at the entrance, Salinas, in the middle, and Chipipe, to the end.

However, the town was crowded and lively only during the summer. The chilly winters witnessed just a few fishermen and one or two little stores offering food and fishing tools.

In 1943 Salinas flourished. An enclave for the US Navy was established in the westernmost tip of Chipipe, during World War II. The "Base Naval" was a new attraction for the tourists, especially young women.

Each year the city seethed with more and more tourists but it didn´t loose its seasonal trait while its neighbour La Libertad remained as a comercial and social enclave.

The situation changed around a decade ago. At that time, many managers and employees whose jobs were related to the shrimps business and located in the Peninsula de Santa Elena, began to move to Salinas and settled there with their families. The city has been growing steadily since then and today near 50000 peple live there year round.

New schools, shoppings, cinemas and supermarkets are bringing the attention of many other families that, looking for quieter places, are leaving the big Guayaquil City and moving to Salinas.

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Weather & Geography

In spite of its location, 2º to the south of the Ecuador, the Península de Santa Elena has its own gheographic characteristics: the vegetation is scarce, due to a poor annual rainfall, and the weather varies from a tropical climate in summer with temperature peaks of 28ºC to chilly and cloudy winters with 19 ºC. The coast of the Peninsula is influenced by the cold Humboldt current in winter and El Niño in summer. The Humboldt current causes the condensation of the air over the cold waters and consequently the coastal towns are mainly cloudy from june to december. During the summer, the water changes its temperature drastically, the clouds vanish and the air temperatures soars.

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Where to go and what to do

There are many tourist attractions in and around Salinas.

• The "Chocolatera" (the chocolate pot) is a magnet for the tourists. A cliff that falls into the Mar Bravo, (Pacific Ocean) it offers the chance to watch the sea beating the rocks endlessly and furiously.
• There are two five star casinos: one in the Barcelo Colón Miramar Hotel and the other in the Calypsso Hotel.
• At the XXI Century Museum, archaeological treasures from the area can be admired.
• The activity never ends in the fishing port of Santa Rosa. Fishing boats goes in and out of the port and fresh seafood is available at any time.
• July is the beginning of the Whale watching season. Whales come swimming from the Antarctica and stay in our waters to mate, feed and breed.
• Game fishing and surfing are two mayor water sports practiced in Salinas by locals and foreigners.
• Aquapark, or the "Artificial reef" offers a wanderful opportunity for divers. An airplane, a boat and a tank, are sunk 9 feet deep, surrounded by a great marine life.
• A ride on a two or three person bike along the Malecon is worth the pedalling.

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Salinas Yacht Club - www.salinasyachtclub.org